‘Game of Thrones’: Why Jon Snow Didn’t Say Bye to Ghost

The most-talked about moment on this week’s episode of Game of Thrones — besides the moment with the coffee cup, but we’re not going to make a whole video about that (Or are we?!?) — was the time Jon Snow parted with his direwolf Ghost without saying goodbye. What gives Jon Snow? Look at that adorable pup! How can you just let that guy go!

What was going on in this scene? In the video essay above by ScreenCrush’s Ryan Arey, we explain this heartbreaking moment by diving into the animal symbolism on Game of Thrones, and considering the connection between Jon and Ghost — and all the Starks and their pets — throughout the show.

If you liked this video breaking down the animal symbolism on Game of Thrones and why Jon didn’t say goodbye to Ghost, check out some more of our videos below, including our exploration of this season’s big Arya twist and why it was always destined to happen, a complete Game of Thrones video recap that will catch you up on everything from the show’s first seven seasons, and our essay on how religion ruled Game of Thrones. Plus, there’s tons more over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes. We’ll have more Game of Thrones videos through the show’s final season on HBO.